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Ukraine to Receive €700 Million for Mine Clearance With AI-Powered Demining Technology

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Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
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Ukraine to Receive €700 Million for Mine Clearance With AI-Powered Demining Technology
A Ukrainian military deminer checks an unexploded Russian aerial guided bomb in a field in the Dnipropetrovsk region, on January 30, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukraine’s long-term mine clearance strategy for 2024-2034 includes €700 million in international funding for equipment purchases, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry announced on February 26.

This was a key topic at the 11th Meeting of the Demining Coalition in Vilnius, co-chaired by Lithuania and Iceland.

The event gathered 40 officials from 15 countries, focusing on accelerating demining efforts in Ukraine, one of the most mine-contaminated countries due to Russia’s war of aggression.

Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, head of the Defense Ministry’s Mine Action, Civil Protection, and Environmental Security Department, led Ukraine’s delegation.

Also present were Major General Dmytro Herheha, commander of Ukraine’s Support Forces, and Colonel Maksym Komisaryov, deputy head of the State Special Transport Service Administration.

“In the last quarter of 2023, we procured €16.1 million worth of equipment,” Berehulia said.

“For 2025, the budget is set at €130 million. As of February, Lithuania’s Central Project Management Agency has already accumulated €51 million for Ukraine’s demining efforts.”

He added that Ukraine’s three years of wartime demining experience garnered strong interest from coalition partners, who see the country as a leader in large-scale mine clearance under combat conditions.

A specialized vehicle is seen during the humanitarian demining using the latest remote control equipment, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine on October 23, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)
A specialized vehicle is seen during the humanitarian demining using the latest remote control equipment, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine on October 23, 2024. (Source: Getty Images)

Under an initiative spearheaded by Lithuania and Ukraine, working groups will be established to explore modern minefield maintenance techniques, cutting-edge demining innovations, and the integration of AI and drones for non-technical surveys.

During the conference, Berehulia also presented the “Demining Capabilities Coalition Roadmap Through 2035,” approved by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

Major General Herheha briefed participants on Ukraine’s current military-strategic challenges, including how Western-supplied engineering and demining equipment is being used on the battlefield. The coalition partners also finalized procurement priorities for weapons, military vehicles, and specialized demining equipment for 2025.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense initiated the creation of a testing ground for evaluating new demining technologies, including those powered by artificial intelligence.

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